Heaven Can Wait
by Sagemodeman
Summary: The Shinigami was having a bad thousand years. One ninja will pay the price, but it also might give him a chance to change things. Naruto gets thrown back in time due to the Shinigami's screw up. Perhaps things will go different now?
1. Chapter 1

**Heaven Can Wait** \- Naruto Fanfic - Obligatory Kishimoto owns Naruto

* * *

**Premise - A ninja's life was taken too quick by a Shinigami and now that ninja is allowed to return to the living, but in a different time.**

* * *

A certain Shinigami was having a very bad 'day', in fact the Shinigami was having a bad thousand years. Ever since Black Zetsu, spawn of Kaguya, had started influencing human affairs people were dying who weren't scheduled to die, and people were coming alive who had no business returning to the living world. There were those damned Nagato and Obito, resurrecting people with the Rinnegan, and even worse Tobirama Senju, Orochimaru the Sannin, and Kabuto Yakushi using that damned Edo Tensai to kill one person and use their body as medium for the dead's Spirits of all kinds of people. Yes, to say the Shinigami was flustered was rather an understatement. Of course for a Death God time was irrelevant, so everything kind of happens all at once for him, and that's how our story came to occur.

Naruto was thrown backwards, the chakra of Kurama pulled from his body and sucked into the cavernous statue of the 10 tails. Even as Gaara caught the blond on a pile of sand and sought the healing master Tsunadae, the heartbeat of the child of prophecy was weakening. The Shinigami sighed. The last few human days had been hectic for him with the widespread death caused by the 10 Tails, Obito, and Madara. He watched this moment from behind the invisible curtain separating human existence and the afterlife. He knew the boy was a goner, it was well known that Jinchuriki did not survive extraction of demons, not a single one in history had ever survived, child of prophecy or not, this boy was a goner in the eyes of the Shinigami.

Gaara's sand raced with Sakura and Naruto's body toward the location of the 4th Hokage, Minato. Without chakra the medical treatment Sakura could give Naruto was limited. His heart slowed to a stop. At that moment the Shinigami acted, the boy was dead and would find his place in the afterlife. As the Shinigami took hold of the boys spirit leaving the physical body behind they stepped from the realm of the living into that place between life and the hereafter. Naruto saw vaguely the form of the death god, but as he began to follow him another hand reached out and took Naruto's other spiritual arm.

"Not so fast Shigekumi!" An old man held Naruto's arm preventing the Shinigami from taking the boy any further.

"Hagoromo! How dare you interfere with my work! The boy was dead so therefore he belongs to the other side!" Shigekumi boomed at the old man.

"Old friend, how long have you known me? You know I can not interfere with the dead, only those who are my descendants through my sons. This boy is Ashura's vessel and as such he must not die right now." Hagoromo spoke as if his authority was enough to release Naruto from the Shinigami.

Naruto blinked and looked between the Shinigami and Hagoromo, uncertain as to what was going on. Of course being Naruto he wouldn't keep quiet. "Tell me what the heck is going on! One minute I'm fighting Madara and Kurama's with me and now I'm standing with two old men in Kami knows where! I have to get back and stop that damned Madara! I promised to save everyone! Let me go both of you!" Naruto unbelievably broke the grasp of both the Shinigami and Hagoromo. "If you don't tell me what's going on I'm going to go crazy!" The boy continued to yell at the two beings.

"Now look what you did Hagoromo! He's put himself in Limbo because of you!" The Shinigami said.

"It wasn't my fault, it was yours, you took him before his time was up. The girl was going to keep him alive! And I was supposed to give him my power!" Hagoromo grew angry. "Now you're going to have to fix this!"

The Shinigami looked at old man Hagoromo and sighed. "I cannot put him back in his body once the connection is broken. And as you can see I am no longer holding his hand." As if to point this fact out the Shinigami held up both hands.

"Are you telling me I was supposed to live and you goofed!? You... You... " Naruto couldn't find words to express his feelings for some time. "I was supposed to save them... wasn't I old man?" Naruto looked at Hagoromo.

"Yes, you and Ashura's heir would have defeated Madara and the 10 tails, and more. But now that will not happen. And human suffering going to increase." Hagoromo stared at the Shinigami with eyes of fire. "There must be something you can do!?"

The Shinigami thought for a moment. "There is one possibility, but I cannot guarantee the results."

"What? What is it? I'll do it if it means I can save them!" Naruto blurted out.

"I can place you in your own living body, but not in your own time. It has rarely been done, and it isn't always successful. You won't remember what has happened in your future life when you wake up in the new time. And if it fails you will be stuck in Limbo forever." The Shinigami warned the boy.

"I'll do it if there's a chance for me to help them! What do I have to do?" Naruto said with conviction.

"Take my hand, my connection with your living selves through time will begin to pull you. Do not let go of my hand for any reason, if you do your spirit will be lost forever." The Shinigami held out his hand to Naruto who took it.

"Will I see the old man again?" Naruto nodded to Hagoromo.

"If you prove yourself an heir to Ashura again, I will find you Naruto." Hagoromo responded.

Naruto's vision began to fade, and the arm of the hand holding the Shinigami began to feel extremely heavy, but he held on. The world faded to an inky blackness and Naruto felt as if his whole body was being pulled in a thousand directions and it was, as each moment of his life attempted to connect to his spirit.

"Good Luck Naruto" The Shinigami said as he allowed Naruto's spirit to slip back through the veil to the living world. "Maybe this time you'll have better luck. Now I need a vacation, this has been one hell of a thousand year shift!" The Shinigami pulled aside another veil to a separate dimension and clocked out as another figure stepped in to take over.

"Shit, what kind of screw up is this Shigekumi!" The replacement Shinigami grumbled.


	2. Ch 2 - Fate

**Heaven Can Wait - Chapter 2 - Fate  
**

* * *

_**Oblig - Kishimoto still owns Naruto - will this always be the blond's fate?**_

A/N - I hope you liked chapter 1, the creative juices are still flowing but I'd love to hear from you about my story. For now read on down, what will be Naruto's fate?

* * *

Sajin wasn't a Shinigami who was prone to being upset, but this was a huge mess! He felt the responsibility of his kind was to protect the integrity of the System. _No loose ends! _was his motto and that damned Shigekuni had left one hell of a loose end. A human spirit was dangling between life and death, having somehow left the body and it couldn't find it's way back to the correct time.

What most humans except for the rare Sage ever realized was that time wasn't a linear thing, it was merely a sphere surrounding the living realm which bound all living things inside it so they couldn't freely escape without the realization that time was that sphere. They might approach the limits of time, but always the sphere would force their spirit back. Occasionally the rare Sage would approach the boundary and gain insight into the living world, but they would then too be forced back. Only a few times in the history of the System had a living being transcended the sphere. And even then they were bound to the outside of the sphere, allowing them to transverse time spiritually though not physically.

So to see the spiritual essence of a boy stuck between the inside and outside of the sphere was a huge loose end to Sajin. "This will not do at all! You must return to your body boy!" Saying that, the Shinigami took his hand and pushed the spirit completely through to the living side of the sphere. Thousands of strands of time stuck to the boy until finally one solidified and yanked the spirit at ever increasing speed toward a specific time in his life. Sajin noted with interest that even as most other threads broke away from the spirit body several other strands of time didn't break, instead they became thin but distinct connections between the points in time. "It seems you're a strange one Naruto Uzumaki, good luck with your life." With those words Sajin closed the veil and continued his vigilance of the living world.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki, Heir of Ashura, Child of Prophecy, Sage of Mt Myoboku, Number one Knucklehead of Konoha awoke with a start. "What the hell was that all about!?" Naruto rubbed his eyes and tried to make sense of the strange nightmarish dream he'd just woken from. It's vividness fading as his waking senses began taking hold. He had been fighting a man and a huge statue, and he'd had some huge fox inside him who was his friend? And there were eight other creatures just a huge, and they were all his friends too. Weird!

What struck him to his core though was the thousands of others fighting the man and the statue too. He felt each of them, and felt each of their deaths like they were his friends, some very close, while others united in the struggle. Those he knew well who were dying or dead were like sharp kunai sticking out of his heart. And yet he felt strength too from those living and fighting beside him. As he struggled to remember the dream its reality slipped from his conscious mind to his subconscious. Soon reality of the living world took over and he got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Toweling off, Naruto stepped to the sink and mirror to brush his teeth and dry his hair. He stared at his face blinking at the image it showed. It was his face of course, his ten year old face. A fleeting thought of what his older self might look like raced through his mind before it went who knows where. He went to his dresser and pulled out the only clean shirt in it, the rest he noted were scattered across his room along with pants and spare jackets. '_Have to do laundry today, no reason to be a slob._' Now where'd that thought come from he wondered but shrugged it off. Going into the kitchen he grabbed an instant ramen ration from the cupboard and placed the kettle on to boil. Going to the refrigerator he pulled out the milk and poured a glass. The kettle whistled in protest as the steam escaped and he took the protesting container and filled the ramen cup to the brim and began the obligatory three minute wait.

As time ticked by Naruto looked at the ramen and his glass of milk and sighed. Breakfast. He loved his ramen, the savor of the spices and saltyness. But looking at the two containers he couldn't help but feel like there had to be more. Sure he had all kinds of ramen to choose from, but when he thought about it the ramen wasn't doing much for him besides the taste. On the other hand the milk, when he drank it cold it was refreshing and it felt like it was doing his body some good immediately. Maybe the new instructor Iruka could tell him why he felt that way?

Naruto thought for a moment about his life, ten years old, going on his fifth year at the Academy... wait five years? What did he have to show for it? He was dead last again! His written scores were horrible and his ability to mould chakra was nearly non-existent. He couldn't make a decent clone. About the only thing he'd managed to succeed doing recently was turning himself into a nearly nude girl that seemed to freak out the ANBU ninja who were incessantly following him when he wasn't at home or in the Academy. What was up with that anyway? He'd have to ask old man Jiji.

The clock showed his eternal three minute wait was up and Naruto opened the ramen cup and blessed his meager meal. It took less time to eat the salty food than the wait for it to cook. He washed the saltiness out his mouth with what was left in the glass of milk and then grabbing his orange jacket he left his small apartment. Within the first 100 paces of his apartment building Naruto felt the stares of the few civilians who were walking around. In all his 10 years he'd never understood why they looked at him like that, but he wasn't about to let their problems bother him so he put on his best fake smile and continued to make his way to the Academy.

He sensed the ANBU before he spotted the masked ninja on the building top nearby. Naruto ducked into an alley and quickly performed the Sexy-No-Jutsu knowing the ninja would look in the alley to see why he'd gone there. He heard a snort overhead and new his technique had found another victim. But even as he inwardly chucked a hand slapped his head dispelling the jutsu. "Young students shouldn't know how to do such a thing and shouldn't be doing it in public!" A female ninja carrying a bag of groceries in one arm stood behind the blond staring at him. She wore a red and white layered short dress and had red eyes. "Perhaps you'd like to know what it feels like?" In a second Naruto's world changed, standing in front of him was an old balding fat man nude in a steamy cloud leaving far less to Naruto's imagination. "Here's what you'll look like in 50 years young man." Naruto ran from the alley clutching his head and shaking in disbelief. _'Heh, maybe he'll be more discreet in the future using that jutsu!' _Kurenai Yuhi thought to herself while she giggled watching the blond race away.

* * *

Naruto was still reeling from the genjutsu the female ninja had placed on him when he walked through the classroom door. Iruka was looking at him with disbelief. "What?" Naruto looked at himself to see whether that hag had done something else to make him look stupid.

"Umm, nothing Naruto, it's just you're NEVER early for class." Iruka said looking at Naruto who glanced at the wall to see indeed it was 20 minutes before the class was scheduled to start.

Naruto's mind whirled, why was he early? Normally he'd have been using this time to prank someone or be late because someone was chasing him. "Hey, can't a student be early?" Naruto tried to sound sincere, but being who he was it was more of a shout so the sincerity was lost.

"Calm down Naruto, it's just you surprised me is all." Iruka smiled setting the boy at ease. '_Still, why is Naruto here early?_'

Naruto was going to go sit in a seat but then decided now was actually a good time to ask Iruka about his view on breakfast. "Hey Iruka sensai can I ask you a question?"

"Sure go ahead Naruto." Iruka looked on with curiosity.

"What do you eat for breakfast? I'm just asking because I was sitting and eating my breakfast and just curious." Naruto was wondering if his teacher would think it was a stupid question.

"Hmm, well lets see, this morning I had fresh pineapple chunks in vanilla yogurt, two poached eggs with toast and some beet relish on top, a glass of apple juice, and a cup of coffee, but it was a light breakfast day." Iruka smiled at the young student. Naruto's head bowed in dejection. "What's wrong Naruto? What did you have?"

"Milk and instant ramen like I always do." Naruto mumbled. Iruka got up and walked over to his student and grabbed him by his shoulders to get his attention. Naruto looked into his teachers eyes as tears began to form in his own.

"Naruto, tell you what, for the rest of the week why don't you join me for breakfast. I'll show you how to fix something besides ramen for breakfast OK?" Iruka wondered if this boy's life was really that limited. He'd never gotten to talk to the boy other than to discipline him for pranks. Naruto would never ask for help either, and normally he'd only ask about his favorite topic, the Hokages. And the Hokage HAD asked Iruka to keep an eye on Naruto when the young student joined his class.

"You'd do that Iruka Sensai?" Naruto sniffled.

"Of course, and listen Naruto, anytime you need to ask a question whether it's about something in the Academy or not, come to me OK?" Iruka instructed him.

"You got it! Thankyou Iruka sensai!" Naruto beamed exuberantly and walked up to find a seat in the empty class.

* * *

Shino Aburame was shocked, though it was hard to tell with his face hidden behind sunglasses and the high collar. He walked into the classroom and for once he wasn't the first student inside, in fact the identity of the student who arrived first was a surprise. '_Naruto Uzumaki, what is he doing here? He's always late.'_

As more students arrived two things occurred. First was the continued astonished looks from classmates that Naruto had beat them there. Second was Naruto's emotional state flared every time he saw a member of the other rookie nine. He wasn't sure what was happening, he did recall that when he'd seen Iruka sitting at his desk something inside him was happy but he discounted the feeling. When Shino had arrived though, he felt a comradeship that went beyond being classmates. And as each member of what would become the rookie nine entered he felt a similar tug.

When Sasuke entered there was a mixture of sadness and determination added to the sense of comradrie. When Sakura entered it was a mixture of determination, fear, and respect, which was funny to him since he knew he liked her in a far different way. More unusual was when Hinata Hyuga entered, Naruto felt his insides twist as if there was something he should know but couldn't put a finger on it. He hadn't really paid the girl much attention though she was in the same class as him, but he started to notice she would steal glances at him much in the same way as he would have done to Sakura. His ten year old mind was confused, perhaps it was something he could ask Iruka about in the future.

* * *

The day that started with an unusual dream had ended with a smile on Naruto's face. He had set his alarm to wake him up early enough to join Iruka sensai for breakfast. To him it seemed his life had gotten a little more interesting today. As the day faded into darkness and Naruto fell into sleep he dreamed of many things. Threads of time delivered snippets of memories to the sleeping mind of the boy, entering and influencing his dreams as they would for many years to come. What would change in his life because of these connections? Only the hand of fate knew of his past, but it had no hold on the new future of Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

A/N - There is the end to the second chapter of Heaven Can Wait.

Reviews are appreciated


	3. A Diet of Kyuubi who?

**Heaven Can Wait - Ch3 - A Diet of Kyuubi who?**

* * *

Oblig- Naruto's request from Kishimoto for early release was laughed at again.

* * *

Naruto woke up in a sweat.

His dreams had steadily become weirder and weirder over the past few weeks. The dream of fighting the huge statue had morphed into fighting various other individuals. A man who was really five men who could block any attack Naruto tried to use and then Naruto would morph into a fox and the man would close a big ball of rocks around him. A weird man who wore heart shaped masks, each one capable of a different type of jutsu that stayed alive even when a masked was destroyed. A clay molding weirdo who became a giant and tried to trample Naruto, a talking snake who wielded a sword from it's mouth, and others Naruto could never remember more than seconds after waking up.

Was it the change in diet he wondered? He was eating far more varied food including fruits and vegetables thanks to Iruka sensai and a certain Chizza Akamichi the teacher knew rather well. After the breakfasts that Iruka had invited him to, Naruto found there were many more foods just as delicious as ramen if they were chosen properly and cooked right. Apparently, according to Iruka at least, the times that Naruto had attempted to vary his diet with suggested foods by shopkeepers were either inappropriate preparation suggestions, unripe, or over-ripe. It was no wonder Naruto had the idea that most foods were less preferable to ramen.

Iruka's friend, Chizza, was a short order cook at one of the Akamichi clan's many eateries scattered around Konoha. She introduced Naruto to vegetables cooked properly, even spinach, which Naruto hated with a passion, was more than delectable when simply saute'd with butter, salt, pepper, and just a bit of Parmesan cheese. Chizza even agreed to teach Naruto how to choose meats and vegetables and prepare several dishes if he promised not to prank anyone for a whole month(at the suggestion of Iruka of course). It was a hard choice for Naruto, but after tasting several of Chizza's preparations he agreed as long as it was only for one month.

The change in Naruto's diet and suspended focus on pranking brought out a whole new avenue for the ninja in training. His mind started focusing easier on his studies and he felt more mentally stimulated than before. The lack of proper diet had apparently heightened his tendency to be hyperactive and thus lose focus in class and be unable to study. The change wasn't only noticed by Naruto himself, but his classmates looked at him somewhat differently, at least some of them anyway. Most of the civilian children still treated him like he was a disease, but several of the children of shinobi, notably Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba and Hinata knew he was a little different. With fewer outbursts in class or at lunch, Naruto would actually carry on conversations that would last more than just a few seconds.

That isn't to say Naruto all of the sudden changed into some super genius with perfect abilities. Far from it. He still sucked at chakra moulding and was mediocre at taijutsu on a good day. It was simply that he found life a bit more enjoyable when he attended class. Everything seemed to be going well in fact for the young blonde. That is until two months after his first nightmarish dream when things took a weird turn.

He had just begun to lay down to sleep after a particularly exhausting day. He'd taken on Sasuke Uchiha in a taijutsu match and the genius prodigy and last Uchiha had soundly defeated him. Naruto had managed a few good licks out of what Sasuke called 'pure luck' before the young Uchiha had proceed to bash, knock, kick, and otherwise brutalize Naruto's ego as well as his body. So it was Naruto lay on his bed trying not to run the match through his head when a nearly imperceptible voice startled him.

"Heh brat, you're mother would be ashamed of you." The low mumbling voice said to no one in particular.

Naruto sat up in bed with a start and looked around his room, no one was there. Everything was in it's place as it should be. "Who's there?" Naruto shouted to no one in particular. Now this wasn't something unusual for Naruto to do in the last two months, his dreams had woken him up more than once.

"Haha, wish you could hear me brat, I'd tell you a thing or two about her." The voice mumbled again to no one in particular. Naruto had heard the voice clearly, but then as he thought about it he hadn't 'heard' the voice at all in his ears, he had kind of 'heard' the voice in his head.

So this time Naruto decided that instead of actually saying words out loud he would think them to himself. "OK, whoever is doing this, how do you know my mother? And what kind of ninja trick is this to put your voice in my head!"

"Hmmm? Who said that? It can't be the brat." The mumbling voice rose in volume a bit

"Hey, who you calling brat? And get out of my mind whoever you are, stop this jutsu!" Naruto yelled in his mind talk.

"Well well well, it IS the brat... inTEResting" The voice chuckled.

"I said get out of my mind whoever you are!" Naruto clenched his fists as he continued the mental battle with whoever was inside his head.

"Hrmphf! I'd like nothing better than to get out of this prison I've been in for ten years brat! But I doubt you'd do what it takes.

"You've been in prison for ten years? That's as long as I've been alive. What'd you do to be put in prison for that long? And how can you talk to me if your in prison is this some kind of mind transfer jutsu?" Naruto forgot to yell at the voice, rather interested now in finding out why the voice was placed into a prison and how it could talk to him.

The voice laughed. "Should I tell you? You might not like the answers to those questions. They might scare you to death... haha haha haha." And the voice trailed off for a bit.

"I'm not scared, if you're only a voice in my mind you can't hurt me anyway! So tell me!" Naruto demanded, now more than curious what the answers might be.

"So be it brat!" The voice boomed before pausing for effect, building up Naruto's anticipation of the answers. "First off, what I did I did not do of my own accord, or at least most of it. I was imprisoned for attacking Konoha and killing ninja and civilians." The voice paused for a second as Naruto gasped. "And no this is not a mind transfer jutsu like those pesky Yamanaka's! Let's say the reason you can hear me is that you and I share the same prison."

"What?" Naruto thought about the voice's answers. It had attacked Konoha and the village had merely imprisoned him? That wasn't a normal punishment for attacking the village, killing civilians and shinobi alike, death was the punishment for such attrocities. And though Naruto personally thought capital punishment was abhorrent he understood why such laws existed. But even more troubling to Naruto was the second admonition of the voice, that both it and he shared the same prison. Naruto wasn't locked up. Sure he was watched by the ANBU, but he could go anyplace anyone else could that wasn't restricted due to rank or security. "You're lying! I'm not in prison, I can go anywhere I want! And you should be dead if you really did attack Konoha!"

"Stupid brat, unable to see underneath the underneath eh?... Tell you what, I'll prove it to you!" The voice boomed.

"How? How are you going to prove it to me? " Naruto questioned in his mind.

"Go talk to that old monkey man Sarutobi... the guy you know as Jiji. Ask him who has been in prison for 10 years for attacking Konoha. Ask him where that prison is, it ought to be quite an interesting conversation. I might even listen in myself..." The voice chuckled as it finished.

"I'll do it! If Jiji knows I'm sure he'll tell me!" Naruto bolted out of bed immediately and dressed quickly and was out the door of his apartment less than 15 seconds later heading to the Hokage tower. He was sure Jiji would be there, the old man had a tendency to stay late working because he had little family left at home.

* * *

Naruto burst through the Hokage's office door ducking under the arm of an ANBU guard who was trying to prevent him from entering. Hiruzen looked across his desk at the young face that showed so much concern and perhaps a question. "Cat it's OK, Naruto can come in." The ANBU silently closed the door behind Naruto who bounded to the front of Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.

"Jiji! Jiji! I have a question for you! It's really important, or at least it's answer is important to a conversation I had!" Naruto blurted out.

"Calm down Naruto, calm down and come over here." The Hokage smiled at Naruto and motioned him toward the chair. Naruto came around the desk and stood beside the old man. "So what is this question and what's it's answer supposed to prove?" The eyes of the old man stared into Naruto's own searching for what had caused his surrogate grandson to be so energetic this evening.

Naruto drew a breath and thought how to ask the question. He decided he wouldn't tell the Hokage who prompted him to ask it just yet, not unless pressed. "Who's been in prison for 10 years for attacking Konoha and where's the prison?" And there, he said it! Now Naruto waited for the answer, except he wasn't prepared for what happened next. The Hokage made a quick succession of handsigns and a blue barrier shone for a moment around the edges of the office. His face turned from kindly to serious and the killing intent of the kage had increased enough that Naruto could feel a ominous pressure encroaching on him.

"Just who have you been talking to Naruto?" Hiruzen asked without pretense and with a force that Naruto's response was to quell and shake as a terrified 10 year old, which is what Naruto was at the moment. When Hiruzen noticed the boy's look he eased up on the killing intent and saw some relief across his young face. "Now just tell me who have you been talking to Naruto?" So Naruto recounted what had happened to him in his apartment, word for word, detail for detail. The concern on the old man's face shifted to one of thoughtfulness and then a sigh escaped as he fully sealed his killing intent. "Naruto, sit here in my lap, I think we have a long conversation ahead of us."

Naruto sat on the old Hokage's knee, and though he was still shaking somewhat with fear he looked into the face of the old man. "A conversation about what Jiji?" Naruto said, stifling a sob.

"About what happened 10 years ago. Some of it you know, but some very important parts have been kept from you on purpose." Naruto looked at the grandfatherly figure with puzzlement and some angst, but held his toungue. "You know of the 4th Hokage's battle with the 9-tailed demon and how it was defeated, and the celebration on October 10th, the day of the demon's defeat." Naruto nodded at this.

"What you don't know, and what none of your younger generation is supposed to know is what I'm going to tell you now. On that night of the attack there was no way to kill the demon fox. In fact there is no known way to actually kill any of what we call Bijju. They are forces of nature, and just like the wind we may be able to harness it, but we cannot truly stop it."

"In the case of the demon fox the 4th Hokage chose to seal half of it's power inside of himself and seal the other half inside of a child. That child was supposed to be seen as a hero of the village, saving it from the demon fox. The child became the prison for the fox. It is hoped that prison will last for a long long time, that the child live to be an old man before he passes and takes the fox with him... " Hiruzen paused for a moment.

"I'm that child aren't I Jiji?" Naruto looked and saw the sadness in the old man's eyes and got his answer before the man's head even nodded.

"Yes Naruto, you carry the demon fox inside you. You are his prison and he is your prisoner." Hiruzen sighed, wondering if he should tell Naruto the rest.

Even as he was thinking about the repercussions of such a revelation Naruto was having his own revelation. Something in the back of his mind sparked. Connections were made beyond the fact that the voice was the nine tails, names and more came to him as if out of nowhere. "Jiji, did you know his name is Kurama?"

**'_What? There is no way he knows my name!" _**The demon fox started to get upset, how was a child whom he never spoke with able to just know his name?

"And he's got 8 siblings too you know..." Naruto began humming a simple tune and words filled his mind and he slowly began reciting lyrics.  
_  
One, "sleep is better than humans." says Shukaku._

_Two, Burning in Fire, Matatabi._

_Three, Leave the water to Isobu._

_Four, Hot as Lava, Son Goku._

_Five, Always on the run, Kokuo._

_Six, Taking it easy and not in a hurry, Saiken._

_Seven, The flying leaf insect, Chomei._

_Eight, "Yeah!" is all it needs, Gyuki._

_Nine, "Ko-kon" cries the mighty Kurama. _

_All the Tailed Beasts have finally come together._

_They're a little hard, but The're Nice Names._

_They're all Splendid Names._

_They're all Wonderful Names._

"There's a second stanza for their Jinchuriki... I guess that's those of us who hold them?" Hiruzen nodded puzzled by the names in the first stanza for no one knew the Bijuu had names other than nine-tails or such.

Naruto continued the next stanza.__

_Next up, The Jinchuriki!_

_Here we go!_

_One, with terrible bags under his eyes, Gaara._

_Two, with a silky voice like a cat, Yugito._

_Three, the fourth Mizukage, Yagura._

_Four, together for forty years, four Tails and Roshi._

_Five, tough and powerful, Han._

_Six, reserved and dressed in a kimono, Utakata._

_Seven, the heart-warming Kunoichi, Fu._

_Eight, he's got crazy rap skills, Killer Bee._

_Nine, The leaf's Naruto Uzumaki._

_All the Powerful Jinchuriki have finally come together._

_Can they become friends with the Tailed Beasts?_

_They're all Splendid Shinobi._

_They're all Wonderful Shinobi._

Naruto finished reciting the lyrics. Hiruzen eyed the boy in amazement. "Did the demon fox tell you these things Naruto?"

**'Damn if I did! How do you know my brothers and sisters names? And even those who imprison them? Tell me brat before I eat you from the inside out!'**

The Kyuubi railed at Naruto, his voice growling so loud in Naruto's mind that the boy yelled out "Stop it you furball!"

"Furball? I'm a furball?" Hiruzen looked quizically at Naruto.

"Not you Jiji, the fox, Kurama was yelling at me... wanting to know how I know those names. So I yelled at him to stop yelling at me. And I called him a furball." Naruto felt confused, how did he know those names? He'd never heard them before had he?

"Naruto, are you telling me this is the first time you've heard that song? And it didn't come from this demon fox... ahem... this Kurama?" Hiruzen's stern face belied his worry. Who was affecting the boy? Giving him what were unknown bijuu names and top S-ranked identifications of the known Jinchuriki.

"I don't know Jiji, it's like a memory just popped into my head I forgot for a long time is all. Maybe someone sung it to me? I just know it's my memory is all." Naruto shrugged as if the information was valid and true without malice.

'**Call me Furball again fleshbag and I'll not only eat you from the inside out, when I get out I'll eat you from the outside in!' ** Kurama was incensed by the knowledge the brat had. How had he learned these things, He had never shared the names with the brat!

Naruto spoke to Kurama in thought alone without speaking aloud "Hey look Kurama, I'm your prison and you're my prisoner, but it doesn't mean we can't be friends you know!"

**"Friends?! Hah! Like I'd ever become your friend you meatbag!"** Kurama then went silent thinking his own thoughts.

"I think perhaps we better find out how you know this song Naruto. I have a feeling this is going to be a long long night." Hiruzen sighed and making a handsign the blue chakra seal lowered and ANBU Cat stepped inside the door. "Cat, go immediately to the Yamanaka compound and tell Inoichi I need him here immediately". The ANBU closed the door and Hiruzen settled back in his chair even as Naruto eyed him from his lap.

"Yes, this is going to be a long night indeed." Hiruzen repeated himself.

* * *

Sajin couldn't help but laugh. Of all the connections time had in the System, it was the littlest strands that seemed to make the biggest waves. As he looked at the specific life of this Naruto Uzumaki he could see the future influence the past in such a direct and unabashed way. The ripples it made were truly impressive in scope across the Sphere and in affect the further the specific timeline was carried back into the future. Perhaps this was a person who would establish a destiny in the System itself. The Shinigami often discussed the improbabilities of events when not on duty. When his shift was over Sajin was going to have one heck of a story to tell.

* * *

A/N - And that's a wrap on a third chapter. Easter has allowed me time to continue to write so this bonus chapter is going up today!

Review please.


	4. Chapter 4 - Shadows

**Heaven Can Wait - Ch4 - Shadows**

**Oblig - Naruto currently is very dedicated to Kishimoto, I think he's being bribed with bowls of ramen though.**

5/16/15 -

* * *

Hiruzen frowned at the report on his desk holding a hand to his forehead willing the building headache to go away.

The report didn't contain any new information, instead it was nearly a carbon copy of reports he'd read many times over the last three weeks. Each time he read one of them the results were the same, he could only wonder what was going on inside the head of the ten year old Naruto. The reports themselves were pretty banal like most mind interrogation reports.

What concerned the Hokage was how the demon locked up inside the boy seemed to block attempts by Inoichi Yamanaka to read Naruto's mind. He was acting as a gate-keeper, and a very effective one at that! Even after repeated attempts to deal with the Kyuubi's presence with other mind jutsu nothing seemed to work. The Kyuubi initially would bare his teeth, laugh, and then using his chakra forcibly push the Yamanaka from Naruto's mind. Whether Naruto was awake or asleep (the attempt that was tried in the current report) it didn't matter, the Fox simply pushed Inoichi out of the boy's mind with ease.

For Naruto those three weeks had been his own type of headache. Nothing he did would convince the Kyuubi to allow Inoichi Yamanaka to peer into the boy's mind. And worse, the Fox itself had refused to converse with the boy for an entire week after the boy's song reciting all the different Bijuu's names and their jinchuriki.

During the second week after the meeting with the Hokage the Fox would merely snarl any time the boy attempted a "mind" talk with him. In the third week Hiruzen had instructed Inoichi to train Naruto how to look inside himself with mind projection. Though Naruto was able to project himself into his own mind, the Fox would reject anyone else's attempt to enter. After getting over his initial shock at the appearance of the Fox in his mind Naruto had perhaps a little less fear of the great demon inside him. Despite repeated attempts to work to allow Inoichi access all the results were the same. And he hated disappointing the Hokage.

"Damn Fox! Why won't you let them in?! IT IS MY MIND YOU KNOW!" Naruto yelled at the Fox behind the huge barred doors down one particular channel of his mindscape.

**"Shut up brat! You have no idea do you what it's like having to endure the control of someone else, forcing you to do things you don't want to do! Using you like some puppet!"** The Fox said gruffly. "**Never again will I let someone else control my actions or those of my prison!**"

"What do you mean control you? All they want to do is look inside my mind and see why I know some of what I know!" Naruto tried to reason with the Fox.

**"Ha! You think they'll stop there?**

**I've lived inside of three prison's now! The others used my powers without asking. Or I get controlled by a damned Uchiha if I'm not inside a prison!**

**I'm sure you'll do the same, control me and my power! And if you think your precious monkey-man Jiji is any different you're wrong. It's the same thing, they'll get inside here and figure out a way to control me through you!"**

Naruto listened to the Fox and even as a 10 year old he could understand the hurt that was being expressed because he knew what hurting was every day of his young life.

"Listen Kurama, I know you're hurting, and I don't quite understand what you're talking about being controlled, but I can see you won't let them have access here so I guess there's nothing I can do about that. But I can tell you that I will never intentionally hurt you or use you without your acceptance. I know what it's like to be herded and looked down upon and even used for someone else's anger... really I do. And you know it's true if you've been inside me for 10 years. You know what my life's been like, so don't think I don't understand! GOT IT!? " Naruto left the mindscape in a huff not seeing the look of surprise on the Fox's huge face.

* * *

Naruto met with the Hokage after his last attempt to talk with Kurama and tried to explain why the Fox prevented any incursion into the boy's mind. "I think he's afraid Jiji. He's been used so much in his life that he trusts no one. He's not just some demon beast, he's got feelings."

The Hokage's expression never changed, but inwardly he began to wonder about the Fox. Was it more than just a mindless beast that had been controlled by Madara Uchiha and housed by Mito and Kushina Uzumaki? Even as Hokage he'd ordered Kushina on missions that required the use of the Kyuubi's power. Weren't the tailed beasts just that, beasts? But the way Naruto described the Fox it was like speaking about another individual with deep feelings, not just instincts. Perhaps he was in some ways no better than those who thought a Jinchuriki was merely a tool.

"Naruto, I do not know if the Fox is a beast or not, but I can see you are at least making some connection with it. I just want to be sure it is not causing you problems and influencing you in bad ways. Do you understand?"

"Yes Jiji, I do understand, and up until a couple weeks ago I never heard him before so I don't think he's been influencing me." Naruto said thoughtfully.

"Well that's not quite true Naruto, he's always been in your shadow you know. His chakra has always been mixing with yours, and he's why you heal so fast when you get injured." Hiruzen explained.

"Really? Wait a minute! You mean he's why I recovered from the attacks from those who hated me and beat and hurt me?" Naruto never realized why even after he'd get hurt it only took hours to a day to be completely healed. He thought maybe he was a bit special, but never understood why, so now it was making sense. "Jiji, I owe the Fox my life you know that right? If it wasn't for him, I'd probably have died and probably would have become really depressed if it took me long to heal like a normal kid right?"

"Yes Naruto, I suppose you are right." Hiruzen understood where Naruto was going, but wasn't about to stop the boy.

"Well then, I think it's my turn to protect him from being used and abused! I may be his prison, but it doesn't mean I have to treat him like a prisoner! So if it's all the same I think we should stop trying to make him do something he doesn't want to do!" Naruto folded his arms in determination, an act noted by the Hokage. He inwardly sighed knowing once the boy had made up his mind there was nothing to stop him, but the old Hokage didn't hold it against the boy, and in fact he admired him. It reminded him of his father, determined and resolute.

"Very well then Naruto, we will no longer try to investigate your mind, but I want you to promise me something in return if you can." Hiruzen's keen eyes looked into the cerulean eyes of Naruto, who merely nodded. "If that fox tries to make you do something bad, something against your friends, or against the village you will stop him, Okay?"

"You got it Jiji!" Naruto nodded again and held out his hand with a thumbs-up a smile spreading on his face.

_'Perhaps the Fox will acknowledge you one of these days and help you become acknowledged by the village.'_

"Very well then, you're excused Naruto." Hiruzen came around his desk and gave the boy a grandfatherly hug and watched as the blond left his office.

'_I hope it happens while I'm still around Naruto, you're going to be something this village needs one of these days.'_

* * *

Sajin watched with interest as an outside chakra connection strengthened to the boy, it was minute and tenuous, but it was growing.

Meanwhile he noted a few key chakra connections with the afterlife were becoming intertwined. Some involved Naruto directly while others involved three rather powerful individuals who lived well before the time of the boy.

'_Interesting and disturbing_' thought Sajin.

* * *

_A/N - I hope you liked this latest chapter, R&amp;R if you can since it can inspire me to continue!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Tests

Oblig... Though Naruto continues to rail at Kishimoto for changing his hairstyle he has not yet found a way to be released from the clutches of his owner.

* * *

Heaven Can Wait Ch 5  
May 2, 2016

* * *

After Naruto's proclamation to protect the Kyuubi and himself from Yamanaka interrogation the Hokage requested regular monitoring by the ANBU to ensure strange things weren't going on in the boy's life.

Most all the reports were mundane except where it concerned Naruto's pranks. He still found time to perform some on certain civilians and Shinobi who were less than obliging to the boy. Hiruzen marveled at the ability of Naruto to pull off pranks that would never have been known except that the ANBU had actually witnessed them. Because none of them were serious he had advised the ANBU that unless a prank were indeed dangerous they were not to interfere.

Hiruzen also decided it was time a certain ANBU Captain step out of the shadows and begin to rejoin the regular Jonin force. One Kakashi Hatake was shocked when the Hokage when so far as insisting the Jonin even consider taking on fresh Genin teams. The God of Shinobi could hope in a few years the Jonin might be ready to take on his Sensai's legacy couldn't he?

* * *

For Naruto, his Academy time progressed and he continued to learn more than he had ever before with the help of other students like Shikamaru, Shino, and Choji who all began to enjoy his company more. He was less boisterous, making him easier to deal with on a personal level. He even received invites to Shikamaru and Choji's clan compounds where he was surprised to find he was welcomed without stares and ill treatment. To say Naruto was enjoying the change his life had taken was an understatement. He was ecstatic because he felt less and less alone as days turned into weeks. He hadn't had any further contact with the Kyuubi who'd taken to ignoring his advances. Naruto realized the old fox would be a hard nut to crack but he knew one day he would.

* * *

Weeks turned into months and months into years. Naruto's growth as a person was amazing for Iruka to see. The young boy he was nervous about mentoring had turned a corner and found a path with many friends. He was never far from the young Nara and Akimichi, nor were the Aburame or Inuzuka boys distant. Even the stoic Uchiha was forced to re-evaluate the blond as time wore onward. He wasn't dead last in the class, nor was he at the top, but he wasn't far from it. Taijutsu fights between them were more even, though Sasuke often won them it wasn't all the time. Begrudgingly the Uchiha felt Naruto was perhaps a worthy rival, though he'd never tell the blond.

Most of the civilian children continued to simply ignore Naruto because of their parents urging, but a few did notice he wasn't as bad as their parents made him out. Ino and Sakura in between bouts for Sasuke's attention didn't mistreat him much, and a certain lavender eyed girl somehow managed to carry on a conversation with the blond recently without falling totally apart.

With only a week to go before the final exam in class there was only one thing that really bothered Naruto. And that was a strange feeling which had heightened recently between him and Mizuki, the teaching assistant. For a long time there had been a nagging feeling anytime Mizuki instructed him. Yet Naruto couldn't point to anything in particular the chunin was doing, only a sense of foreboding. In this final week that foreboding had come to effect Naruto's dreams. Ever strange for the past two years, the dreams he now had were very specifically about Mizuki, Iruka, and the Kyuubi.

The dream always started very innocuous with Naruto in the classroom waiting to take the final exam. He would be called in front of Iruka and Mizuki and only be able to perform two of the three requirements. Every time he tried to do the clone jutsu it would fail. Then Iruka would shake his head and act disappointed in the blond. Mizuki would stand up and say "No, he should pass. He knows another jutsu." Naruto would deny he knew another jutsu and then Mizuki would then laugh and say. "What about the Kyuubi Jutsu!?" And suddenly Naruto would transform into the Ninetailed Fox and shock Iruka who would look disappointed. Then the walls would all fall away and the other students would be looking and see Naruto transformed. At that moment Naruto would wake up in a sweat. This dream had happened three nights in a row and now it was only three days before the final.

Iruka noticed the change in Naruto and finally stopped him from leaving one afternoon.

"Naruto, I can see something is troubling you. What is it?" The chunin instructor asked.

"Just a bad dream about the test." Naruto tried to hide his nervousness with a put on smile.

"Really, why don't you tell me about it?" Iruka suggested.

Naruto thought about it for a moment. Iruka was his teacher, but to tell him about the dream might reveal Naruto knew something about the Kyuubi. And Iruka might not know he had the fox in him and if he found out then Iruka would get in trouble. So Naruto decided to try and divert Iruka's attention. "It's nothing, just worried I won't pass the test, I still can't do the clone jutsu you know."

Iruka shook his head a moment. It was true, despite everything Iruka had tried to teach Naruto, even controlling his chakra more, the blond just wasn't able to perform the clone jutsu. They'd even tried an elemental clone jutsu that Iruka knew and it didn't work either, Naruto's chakra was incompatible with the earth jutsu at this point. There was only one jutsu Iruka thought might work, but it would require the Hokage's permission as it was a forbidden jutsu.

"Naruto, come with me."

Naruto followed Iruka into the Administration section of the great building of which the Academy was a part. The Hokage's office loomed before them and Naruto was wondering if Iruka was going to tell the old man about his dream. This put Naruto on edge even as Iruka and he entered the office.

"Iruka and Naruto? Come for a visit have you? Or have you been caught pranking someone?" A gleam in the old Sarutobi's eye was clearly evident.

"No no, nothing like that." A waving Iurka tried to assuage his leaders thoughts even as Naruto had a look of minor guilt, as indeed he had played a minor prank just the previous day, but only on Choji, adding red pepper flakes to one of the boy's bags of chips which actually had made them taste even better in the Akimichi's mind oddly enough.

"Oh, so what is it then?" The Hokage asked.

"Well, it's about the exam and Naruto, specifically his ability, or more accurately his inability to create a simple clone."

* * *

The Day of the exam began like any usual day in Konoha except for a certain group of students. Each one knew this was the final step before they could become ninja. What few realized was this was only the pretext for the next evaluation which would not be given by the Academy, but by honest to goodness Jonin who knew what qualities it took to be a ninja. But each of the students who filtered into the class that day had no idea of this real truth, that the simple tests of today would be nothing compared to the keen eyes who would truly evaluate them next.

Like students before them, the class went through the ritual test taking, written and physical portions. Each one passed, even Naruto, who had created a bunshin right before Mizuki's and Iruka's eyes much to the former's surprise. Sporting his new headband, Naruto joined several other students who were waiting in the courtyard of the Academy to see if everyone had passed. A group of several gathered to congratulate one another and speculate who would be on assigned teams. But before the discussion could go too far their attention was redirected by Mizuki.

"Excuse me, I'd like to talk to Naruto a moment please." The chunin laid a hand on Naruto's head and smiled at everyone. "I only need him for a moment, he'll rejoin you soon." Naruto's gut was turning knots, what had happened?

"Umm, did I do something wrong?" Naruto looked at Mizuki as they walked away from the others.

"No, no, nothing like that. Actually I just wanted to congratulate you on your success." Mizuki said with a smile.

"Oh, hehe, thanks! I worked hard Believe it!" Naruto shot a smile back.

"Yes, and it's because of your hard work that I have something very special for you." Mizuki handed Naruto a packet.

"What's this?"

"This is instructions for your first mission Naruto. We instructors are allowed to choose one graduating student to take on a mission before they join their team. If the student succeeds in that mission then they will be considered a candidate for a very secret organization of the Leaf. That organization tests the security of the village to make sure it's up to standards. As our number one prankster you have proven yourself a good candidate. Now hide this packet and don't show it to anyone. When you get home open the packet and follow the instructions. And remember tell no one! Now run along and join your friends." Mizuki waved him off and turned around to go back into the building as Naruto hid the packet in his bulky orange jacket and went to rejoin his friends.

* * *

A few hours later after a raucous and delicious meal at one of the Akimichi restaurants Naruto slipped away to his apartment. When he got there he removed the packet and unsealed it. Inside he found a map with markings and what looked to his untrained eye like a mission briefing.

_Candidate, _

_You have been chosen as a prospect for our organization which is tasked by the Hokage to ensure the security within the Leaf Village. The following is a standardized mission which will test your abilities as a Ninja to follow orders and display true skills of a Leaf Shinobi. If you successfully complete this mission you will be considered a worthy prospect to protect the Leaf in the future. _

_Included in this packet are a map, a smoke bomb, a kunai, and a sealing tag._

Memorize the points and times marked on the map. In order to successfully complete this mission you need to be at each of these positions at the time marked.

You're objective is the one marked on the map as 'X'. In this location you will place the sealing tag on the door you will find there and activate it with your chakra. You will then open the door and throw the smoke bomb inside. There will be test candidates in that room and your mission is part of their test. Their objective is to catch you and yours is to avoid being caught.

The kunai should be used to block the door from being opened once you throw the smoke bomb inside. Just jam it under the door.

As proof of your success there is a cabinet in the room containing a large scroll. That scroll will be your proof that you have carried out the mission. You will exit from that location and go to the location marked 'Z' on the map and await a representative of the organization. You will hand the scroll over to them and they will evaluate your mission.

_Good Luck Candidate._

* * *

Naruto stood huffing and puffing. He had so far been successful in evading those whose test it was to capture him. But the scroll on his back was heavy and he was tiring. He hadn't taken much time to actually examine the scroll, but something seemed familiar about it so he decided to stop and take a look at it closely. When he'd snatched it after chocking the smoke bomb into the room and blocking the door with a kunai he had a vague sense of deja vu but had waved it off until now knowing he needed to get as far away as quick as he could. Right now he was standing in some trees near one of the training grounds used by ninja of the leaf. He was maybe 10 minutes away from the 'Y' location and had more than 2 hours to get there. He figured now was the best time to figure out why the scroll was so familiar.

Laying the scroll on the ground he saw the seal upon it was slightly bloody and remembered there were certain seals that required the blood of the user so he bit his thumb and wiped his blood on the seal. The scroll immediately unsealed and he began to look a it. The first few inches of the unrolled scroll were elaborate designs in beautiful inks which then became a border for handwriting. The handwriting was elegant and precise, a practiced hand Naruto realized.

The writing described the scroll as containing the knowledge of Konoha for the benefit of the protection of Konoha. Only those worthy in body and spirit were advised to continue reading. Naruto of course felt he was worthy, he was going to be Hokage one day and protecting the village so he continued to read on. 


	6. Chapter 6 - Revelations

Oblig... Though Naruto continues to rail at Kishimoto for changing his hairstyle he has not yet found a way to be released from the clutches of his owner.

* * *

Heaven Can Wait Ch 6 - Revelations

* * *

HCW - Dec 5 2016

* * *

Iruka couldn't believe what Mizuki had told him. Not only had he infiltrated the Administration building, but he had somehow put half a dozen Chunin out of commission with a well placed poison bomb before making off with the scroll containing the great secrets of Konoha. He still couldn't believe what the other Chunin were saying. Naruto had stolen the prized scroll of kinjutsu knowledge handed down from Hokage to Hokage. He couldn't believe one of his students would stoop so low and betray Konoha, especially Naruto!

It had only been a few day ago when Naruto had come to him for help with the clone jutsu and he had taken the boy to the Sandaime to clear teaching the blond the Shadow Clone jutsu. What could have possessed the boy to do it? This caused Iruka to wince... he knew what COULD, but Naruto gave no signs of knowing anything about the Nine Tailed Fox sealed within him. Was it possible the fox demon had somehow corrupted the boy?

Iruka set that thought aside, his duty was clear, he had to find Naruto and retrieve the scroll. Using his sensory skills Iruka had long been able to target the young blond's chakra. It was a blessing and a curse though. The night of the demon fox attack his parents had died, and a latent sensory ability in Iruka's bloodline had been triggered. It was one of the reasons he'd been able to make Chunin after all. And it was why he could sense Naruto when no Chunin and few Jonin or Anbu could track him when the boy truly tried to hide himself. Now he put that ability to use and was zeroing in on the blond. No more than a quarter mile to go and he would be at the boy's location.

Suddenly an explosion drew his attention ahead. Had some Chunin or Anbu stumbled on Naruto and used a paper bomb? Iruka sped up. Only a few more seconds and he would be there...

Iruka landed on a tree branch above a small clearing near a storage shed used for this remote training ground. Below he could see Naruto laying on his back holding his head rolling around, the scroll lay nearby, rolled out a bit... a worrying sight to Iruka.

* * *

Naruto rolled on the ground, his hands holding the sides of his head, trying to get the image out of his mind. The explosion of himself. He saw it in his memory and felt it with his mind. Not so much a pain, but the loss of existing, of popping out of existence like a candle snuffed out as his body burst.

"Naruto... NARUTO!" The blond's mind registered that someone was shaking him, and he opened his eyes and blinked a few times.

"Naruto! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Iruka berated the blond even as his face showed concern for his pupil.

"Ir... Iruka sensai?" Naruto looked up, tears in his eyes. Naruto grabbed the Chunin and hugged him. Sniffles and snuffles coming from him.

"Naruto?" A calmer voice from Iruka brought Naruto out of his fit.

"Iruka Sensai! IT was awful! Awful!... I saw myself die!" Naruto sniffled a few more times even as he started to compose himself.

"You saw yourself die? When?" Iruka looked at Naruto, wondering what the blond was talking about.

"My clone... he blew up... hic... sob... and he died... I died..." Naruto looked at his instructor with wide eyes.

Iruka was trying to understand. What had happened? "Why did your clone blow up? A paper bomb?" Iruka thinking that there might be a Chunin or Anbu nearby, began scanning but not sensing any chakra close by.

"No...no...no... I blew him up... hic sob hic hic..." Naruto closed his eyes but opened them immediately, the memory reeling through his mind.

"You blew him... up?" Iruka was confused, why was Naruto blowing up his clone?

"The scroll... a... jutsu... exploding clones... I was... I was... learning... how..." Naruto trailed off.

Iruka looked over to the large scroll. It was unfurled to a jutsu. Exploding Clones. Iruka shook his head. Is this why Naruto had stolen the scroll to learn a new jutsu to use with his clones?

"Why Naruto?" Iruka turned back to the blond who was still composing himself and wiping away some snot from his nose. "Why did you take the scroll? So you could learn this jutsu?" Iruka began interrogating the boy.

Naruto cocked his head and sniffled a bit, not understanding Iruka's question. He hadn't taken the scroll to learn the jutsu, it was his mission. He shuffled around in his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Iruka. "My mission... and I thought... I thought..." Suddenly it dawned on Naruto about his mission. "You're not with the organization?"

Iruka looked at Naruto puzzled. "What organization?" But Naruto just pointed to the paper of instructions with a shaky hand. Iruka read down through the paper. It was a plain piece of paper with instructions written on it... but it was no mission paperwork like given by the assignment desk. "Where'd you get this Naruto?"

"From..." Naruto started to say.

"From Me!" A voice spoke out from the edge of the clearing, standing about 10 feet up on a large branch. Iruka and Naruto turned toward the voice of the person they both knew. Mizuki.

* * *

Muzuki looked on the scene of instructor and student trying to figure out what had happened. He laughed inwardly. The demon boy had fallen for his plan... and Iruka... well Iruka had signed his own death warrant.

"So, I see Naruto carried out the 'mission', well done traitor!" Now Mizuki laughed out loud, as Naruto's eyes grew large and round.

"Mizuki?! How could you?" Iruka turned to place himself between Naruto and the menacing Chunin who was slipping a huge shadow shuriken from his backpack.

Mizuki began to twirl the menacing device, the whirring of the air caught and stirred by it's edges becoming louder and louder.

"How could I? How could I not? Look at him! He's what's wrong with this village!" A manic grin crossed Mizuki's face. "For nearly 12 years we've had to put up with this..."

"Don't say it! It's forbidden!" Iruka attempted to interrupt what Mizuki was trying to say.

"What... I can't say DEMON FOX?! Idiot! You're as much to blame as that old broken down Hokage leading us! Trying to hide the truth we all know! He is the Demon Fox!" Mizuki's grin widened seeing Naruto's eyes widen in apparent shock.

"See! He know's he's been found out! No more hiding for you Ninetails!" Mizuki increased the tempo of the shadow shuriken in an instant and let it slide effortlessly from his fingers. The great whirling mass headed straight for Naruto, arching to the left of Iruka as it began to swing back toward the blond, dead set on it's course.

"Naruto!" Iruka let chakra flow into his legs and feet and lurched to intercept the great device. But his only hope to save the boy he realized, was to block it with his body. One great blade of the Shadow Shuriken sliced into the back of Iruka's flak jacket before the next embedded itself through the protective clothing and reached the skin of Iruka's back. A searing pain from the contact surged through Iruka even as his arms reached out and grabbed Naruto by the shoulders. "Run! Run!"

But Naruto could not move. He saw Mizuki's face behind Iruka, but it was Iruka's own that drew his attention. The face wasn't one of hate or mistrust because of the Kyuubi, it was the face of someone who saw Naruto as himself, a boy. He was shaken from his revelation again by Iruka's hands which were holding him. "Run! RUN NOW!" The hands roughly pushed Naruto backward. The blond nearly fell as his body rotated even as he still was trying to look at Iruka. The Chunin's eyes were pleading for him to go. He grabbed the scroll even as his last glimpse was of Mizuki jumping to the trees to pursue him.

Naruto's short legs drew strength from his chakra network and he dashed away. He could hear the air whipping past him as his speed increased. 

* * *

Mizuki's grin widened as he watched the blond boy turn and run away. He had to admit the boy had enough sense to follow his instructor's orders, and he was indeed running. In fact Mizuki was hard pressed to follow the young boy who was distancing himself quickly to the point of being out of sight in the myriad of trees that were rather thick in this section of the forest. He damned his own careful planning, this spot was isolated and not often used due to the density of the trees making combat difficult.

He increased his speed to intercept the boy. If he'd been a sensor like Iruka it would be simpler of course, but his skills were different. He rounded a rather large tree and spotted the blond boy ahead, apparently now slowing, likely due to over exerting the chakra usage in his system. He might be the demon fox, but muscles can only stand so much strain, especially for an under-developed new Genin.

"Hold it right there Naruto!" Mizuki shouted hoping to distract the boy long enough to reach him. And it was working. The blond looked back at him with those blue eyes which had grown large realizing he could not escape.

"I won't let you have the scroll!" The blond yelled, holding on to the large scroll as if it meant the world to him. The boy slowed and turned to face Mizuki.

"I'll have that scroll and you'll be dead in just a moment!" Mizuki advanced on the boy, un-sheathing another Shadow Shuriken and beginning the rotation of the great mass up to speed. This time Mizuki did not wait to throw the huge device letting it fly. It struck true.

Boooooom! The scroll and the blond burst as the great shuriken reached them. All the many trees around them shook with the force causing a deluge of leaves to drop around Mizuki like huge green snowflakes. "What!?" Mizuki lost his footing from the blast and felt the heat of the thing singe his eyebrows and nearly burn his face. The pain was such that Mizuki reflexively covered his face an instant too late to matter.

It took a moment for Mizuki to clearly think about what had happened. _He'd exploded... EXPLODED?!_

Mizuki shakily regained his footing and looked around. Singed bark everywhere and a sizeable hole in the ground where the blond had been.

"Surprising isn't it?" Mizuki wheeled around. Iruka was leaning against a tree up in the canopy of the forest, looking like a ghost his face was so white.

"Where did that brat go?" Mizuki demanded of the pale Chunin, but all he got was a chuckle.

"I'm right behind you Mizuki-teme!" The white haired Chunin wheeled at the sound and found himself facing 10 Naruto's holding scrolls. Mizuki's own face went pale as the 10 Naruto's advanced on him. "You sent me on a mission. My first as a Ninja of the Leaf. I think it only appropriate to show you what I learned!"

Mizuki turned to run, but was blocked by three more Naruto's standing in his path. "Don't you want me to show you?" The three said. 

* * *

Iruka was watching from his position up in the canopy of the trees. "Iruka sensai... we should get out of here." Iruka's pale face turned to see Naruto standing next to him. "I think you need a doctor sensai." Naruto held the great scroll under one arm as he lent his other shoulder to his teacher as they distanced themselves from the Naruto clones and Mizuki. A hundred yard further and they stopped, having jumped to the ground. A huge explosion shook the trees, a few leaves falling around them.

"Naruto... about what Mizuki said..." Iruka started to speak.

"Don't worry about it sensai, I know about the ninetails sealed in me. I just didn't realize everyone else knew already." Naruto shook his head.

"Only the adults Naruto... none of your class knows. None of the younger people know why... I'm sorry Naruto... I should have..." Naruto held up a hand to stop Iruka.

"Sensai, it's enough to know you were willing to save me from Mizuki. That tells me all I need to know." Naruto half smiled. "Can you make it to the hospital?"

"With your help I can Naruto... but you've got a lot of explaining to do..." Iruka said looking at his former student. "But you always do don't you?" This time Naruto's smile went all the way across his face and they both laughed. 


End file.
